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J. Upton needs help to secure spot in NL lineup

J. Upton needs help to secure spot in NL lineup

6/26/13: Justin Upton drives a single to center field, sending home Andrelton Simmons and Reed Johnson to tie the game at 3 in the seventh

By Mark Bowman
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MLB.com |

ATLANTA -- Justin Upton was leading all National League outfielders when the earliest results of this year's All-Star balloting were released. But with just a few more days remaining in the balloting process, Upton is in danger of not being voted into the starting lineup.

Upton ranked third among NL outfielders when the latest results were released on Tuesday. The Braves' left fielder is still positioned to claim the last of the three starting spots reserved for outfielders, but he stands just 15,000 votes ahead of Washington's Bryce Harper, who could garner more attention now that he has been activated from the disabled list.

If Upton does not finish among the top three outfielders, the Braves will likely not have a representative in the NL's starting lineup. Third baseman Chris Johnson is the only other Atlanta player who ranks among the top four at his respective position.

St. Louis' Carlos Beltran leads the NL outfielders with more than five million votes. The battle for the final two starting spots will be waged between Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez, Upton and Harper, who were all separated by less than 30,000 votes.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via a mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, fans must be logged into an MLB.com account when submitting any online ballot. To obtain an MLB.com account, visit www.mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Though originally scheduled for Sunday, the 2013 rosters will now be unveiled Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell. The show will be televised nationally on FOX.

From Saturday to Thursday, July 11, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2013 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by freecreditscore.com for the final player for each League's All-Star roster.

Freddie Freeman appears to be the most likely Braves player to be included in the Final Vote competition if he is not selected as a reserve. Freeman ranks third among NL first basemen in OPS and RBIs. But he ranks fifth in the balloting, trailing Cincinnati's Joey Votto, Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis' Allen Craig and San Francisco's Brandon Belt.

The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.

The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

While Johnson ranks fourth at third base, he trails The Mets' David Wright by more than three million votes. Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons and catcher Brian McCann both rank fifth at their respective positions.

Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league whom they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.